Career plans of final-year South African student teachers: migration to ‘greener pastures’?

Abstract

ABStRACtteacher loss due to migration is a global phenomenon that impacts both developed and developing nations the world over. The aim of this study was to find out about the career plans of final-year South African student teachers. A group of final-year Bachelor of Education student teachers from a South African university responded to a questionnaire on intra-and intercontinental migration. the responses were analysed quantitatively and/or qualitatively. The findings showed that 79% of the students indicated that they would be teaching in South Africa, 8% were planning to teach in another country, while 8% were undecided. More than a third of the students (38%) said that they would like to teach in another country in five years' time. Just more than a quarter of the students (27%) preferred Australia as a destination country. the student teachers' most important motive to teach in a foreign country was the opportunity to travel, followed by earning a higher salary, and professional development. the student teachers indicated that their most important migration needs before leaving South Africa were information about health care, accommodation, and banking assistance.

Newly Qualified Female Teachers’ Perception of Teaching Practicum as a Component of Initial Teacher Education in South Africa

“…Worryingly, there is a low uptake of teaching as a career (Mlambo & Adetiba, 2020). This is even more disturbing when one considers the rate at which teachers exit the profession in search of greener pastures ((De Villiers, 2017;Mlambo & Adetiba, 2020). A seemingly more viable option is to try and provide adequate (quality) training to those who are studying towards becoming teachers (Musset, 2010).…”